


Because You Asked

by Smittenwithdaydreams



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-30 23:54:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17233526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smittenwithdaydreams/pseuds/Smittenwithdaydreams
Summary: Drarropoly submission! Harry and Draco are working on a certain truth potion.





	Because You Asked

**Author's Note:**

> This Drabble was beta'd by @OTPshipper98 who is AMAZING! 
> 
> Name: Because You Asked  
> Rating: U/General Audience   
> Board Position: Potions Classroom  
> Prompt: Harry and Draco are lab partners and are stuck making a complex and intimidating potion. Please include either 1) The Potion Recipe as they follow it OR 2) the two of them taking the potion and the effects.   
> Word Count: 999 words  
> Summary: Harry and Draco are working on a certain truth potion.

The classroom was far less frightening without Snape haunting behind his desk, and Harry was relieved, for the first time since the war, not to have things revert to how they were before.

“If you’re finished wasting time, I’d like to get this over with.” Malfoy was already at their desk, regarding the textbook and his notes with a pinched expression. A year ago, Harry would have told Malfoy to piss off, but he didn’t for two reasons. The first was that, though he still didn’t believe his ears, Malfoy no longer spoke to him with a degrading tone unless he was incredibly annoyed. The second was that Malfoy was right.

He had approached Malfoy a month ago, asking for his assistance given the complexity of the potion. Had he not promised the majority of the vial to Malfoy, he doubted the blonde would have agreed.

“Who do you think the new Potions Professor will be?” Harry asked as he rolled up his sleeves. Malfoy didn’t acknowledge he’d spoken at all, which wasn’t unusual. “I hope it’s someone nice. I reckon we all need a change.”

“Stop babbling, Potter, it’s unbecoming,” Malfoy said, his eyes glued to his notes. “Make yourself useful and fetch the potion.”

Harry rolled his eyes but did as he was asked, if only because he wanted to get out of the castle. Their already brewed potion was hidden in the storeroom, behind a loose brick on the wall. The potion needed to be stored in a dark, undisturbed location for the cycle, and neither of them had trusted the other not to steal their work—therefore, it had been given a mutual location.

Once Harry had taken the vial out of the wall, replaced the brick and rehidden its damage, he rejoined Malfoy at the desk. “What’re you doing?” he asked, watching Malfoy write.

“I’m noting down the time we’ve removed the potion, if you must know.” Harry didn’t ask why, figuring Malfoy had his reasons. “Let’s go. The last thing we need is to be caught now.”

 

The journey outside was uneventful; they had remained completely silent and nobody was around to not-see them. Once they were out by the lake, Harry pulled off the cloak and fixed his gaze on the full moon.

“Let’s get this over with,” Malfoy said, holding out his hand for the vial. Harry begrudgingly handed it over. Not because he wanted to ruin the potion, but because he’d actually enjoyed his time spent working on it with Malfoy—and evidently, the feeling was unreciprocated.

“How long does it have to be in moonlight?” Harry asked, putting the cloak away.

“It doesn’t specify,” Malfoy said with a pinched forehead.

“What do you mean it doesn’t—?”

“I mean it doesn’t specify,” Malfoy snapped. “Merlin, Potter, don’t you listen?” Harry ground his teeth to stop himself from rising to the bait of an argument. “To be sure, I’m going to stay out until the sun comes up.”

“We,” Harry corrected, and dropped down to sit on the grass—immovable. He stared out across the lake for a few long seconds and then glanced at Malfoy, wondering why he was still standing. The Slytherin was holding the vial out so that the moonlight could bathe it. “Aren’t you going to sit down?”

“The ground is filthy, Potter.”

“Your legs will get tired if you stand all night.”

“How touching. The Boy Who Lived gives a damn about my legs.”

“You know what? Fine, stand. I don’t care. Stubborn prat.”

As time passed slowly, Harry grew closer to the ground, his eyes dropping here and there despite how bloody cold he was.

Malfoy had eventually sat beside him, muttering something about body heat, and was leaning against Harry’s leg when the sun began to rise. “Potter, get up,” Malfoy grunted, though he hadn’t moved.

Harry groaned, using his elbows and then his arms to push himself into a sitting position.

“You have to sample the potion to make sure it works,” Malfoy said, holding it out.

“Err, I don’t think so,” Harry said. His cheeks would have reddened if they hadn’t been raw with cold. “If one of us has to sample anything, we both do.” Malfoy looked as though he wanted to argue the matter but sniffed and jutted out his chin instead.

“Fine,” he said, and swallowed audibly. “You go first.”

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, snatching the vial. “Coward,” he muttered, and uncorked it. He took a sip and handed it to Malfoy immediately, wanting to ensure the Slytherin drank some too. He did, and they both waited. “How do we know if it’s worked?”

“We’ll be unable to tell a lie,” Malfoy replied automatically, and Harry had to stop himself from asking if that was his response or the potion. Perhaps it would have been better had only one of them taken it. Hell, at least they knew it wasn’t faulty or poisonous; that was always a good result. “Why did you ask me to brew this potion with you?” Malfoy asked, and Harry felt his mouth open before he could even think of his response.

“You’re the best in our year at potion-making, and I knew you’d agree, what with your inability to back down from a challenge.” Malfoy pursed his lips but didn’t look insulted, only thoughtful, and a little bit smug at Harry’s praise. He felt frustrated for a moment, knowing Malfoy had purposefully waited to ask, and so he shot back, “Why did you agree to do this?”

“Because you asked.”

“Wait—what?”

“Because. You. Asked,” Malfoy repeated, his answer far less voluntary. Harry wasn’t sure what it meant. He saw the anger building up behind Malfoy’s eyes and could tell this was the last conversation he wanted to have.

“I don’t understand,” Harry confessed, and took a step back. “Why would you do something just because I asked?” Malfoy bit down on his lip and looked across the lake.

“Because—I’d do anything for you.” Oh. _Oh._


End file.
